Philosophy

If you have taken International Baccalaureate (IB) exams, you may be able to earn Penn State credit.

Penn State will award transfer credit for exams taken at the Higher Level and graded 5 or above.

IB Exam: Philosophy

Penn State Credit Evaluation: 6 general credits of Philosophy are awarded.

More Information about Credit for IB Exams

This evaluation of the credits awarded for IB Higher Level Examinations is subject to change and may be reviewed and revised periodically by Penn State faculty.

Undergraduate students interested in receiving credit for IB Higher Level Exams should arrange to have their official grade reports sent to Undergraduate Admissions directly from the International Baccalaureate Program.

If credit is awarded, a student’s University record will carry notation of credit, but no grade will be recorded. Credit awarded will not affect a student’s grade-point average at Penn State.

Limitations on credit earned through the IB Examinations are as follows:

The credit must be useful in a student's program of study.

Duplicate credit in the same subject is not awarded in any case.

Credit awards for the Higher Level Examinations will reflect the introductory sequence in the subject at Penn State. Since Penn State’s evaluation will focus on the results of individual examinations completed at the Higher Level, a student does not have to complete the full IB Diploma to be eligible for consideration for transfer credit. Examinations at the Subsidiary Level are not eligible for transfer credit consideration.

General credits may be awarded for an IB Higher Level Exam that covers material that is not the substantial equivalent of material covered in a specific university course. General credits may be used to fulfill degree requirements in any area; such use is not necessarily limited to General Education or elective requirements. General credits are applied to a student’s program of study in accordance with the procedures established by the college of enrollment. Information on the use of general credits or specific course credits earned by the IB Higher Level Exams in individual programs of study may be obtained from a student’s academic adviser or from the office of the dean of a student’s college.